Monkey-wrench



46.. 5 vwanloz Ff E. SAYRES.

MONKEY WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED Dec. 17, 1919.

Patente Aug. 24,1920.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. SAYBES, F THANE, TERRITORY OF ALASKA.

MONKEY-WRENCH.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Fnann E. Savane, a citizen of the United States, and resident of rIhane, rFerritory of Alaska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Monkey-lllrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to improvements in wrenches of that character commonly known as monkey wrenches; the principal object of the invention being to provide a wrench which is efficient in use, especially quick in action, and wherein. the adjustable jaw is easily and quickly movable and automatically adjustable on its shank to proper position relative to the object to be acted upon.

It is also an object of the invention to equip a wrench of this character' with supplemental gripping jaws of such a character as to adapt the device as a pipe wrench, or for turning objects with smooth or round surfaces.

In accomplishing these obj ects, have provided the improved details of; construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of a wrench constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a 'longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, illustrating the movement of the releasing lever which frees the movable aw from locked relation with the shank.

Fig. 4l is a horizontal, sectional view on the line lof Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5'of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the wrench.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the shank, or bar, of the wrench, consisting of a strong metal bar, preferably rectangular in cross section, and having a iiXed jaw 2 at its lower end; the latter beine` provided with a smooth gripping face 3 which is perpendicular to the shank to engage against one side of a square nut, or the like, as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the shank is tapered down to a threaded end t and has a somewhat tubular handle 5 mounted thereon, which is held in position by means of a nut 5 which threads onto the end 4L and seats against the outer end of the handle.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application ined member 17, 191e.

Patented Aue'. 24, 1920.

sei-iai 110.345,538.

Mounted upon the shank 1, between the jaw 2 and the handle 5, and movable longitudinally along the shank, is an adjustable jaw 8, provided with an extension 9 which partially incloses the shank and at its upper end is slidably extended into the handle 5. Collars 10 and 11 extend from the jaw and extension about the shank to hold the jaw in functional position with relation to the fixed jaw.

Located within the handle member 5 is a coiled spring 12, which, at its upper end, engages the inner face of the outer end of Athe handle, and at its lower end bears against the upper end of the jaw extension 9, in such a manner that the adjustable jaw, when not locked to the shank, is yieldingly urged toward the fixed jaw or against the object to be acted upon.

Slidably contained within a recess formed within the extension part of the movable jaw, and movable toward and from the shank 1, is a block 16, provided upon itsI inner face with teeth 17 which are adapted to mesh within cooperating teeth 18 formed along the inner face of the shank, so that, when in mesh, the adjustable jaw will be locked against any longitudinal movement along the shank, but, when out of mesh, it may be moved outwardly against the pressure of the spring 12 and when released will automatically seat itself in functional position against the object, or nut, to be acted upon.

lf' it is so desired, a portion of the shank along its front edge may be cut away and a toothed bar 2O inserted in the recess and secured by screws 21 at its opposite ends, as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 2. Such a bar coul-d be removed when its teeth 18 became worn or damaged, and could be replaced, to add to the life of the wrench.

The block 16 is at all times urged toward the shank by means of a leaf spring 23 which is confined within a cover member 2a, secured over the recess 15, by means of screws at its opposite ends. The means employed for moving the block outwardly to release the adjustable aw from the shank, consists of a lever 26, pivotally mounted on a stud 27 at one side of the extension and having a laterally turned thumb portion 28 at its outer end and a sort of recessed hook 29 at its opposite end.

Another lever 30, of a particular shape, is mounted pivotally upon the extension by means of a stud 31, and has a rounded head 32 at one end adapted to seat within the recessed portion of the hook 29, and to be engaged by the end of the hook when the lever 26 is actuated. At its opposite end this latter lever has a lateral extension 33 provided with a curved outer surface 34 which engages the inner side of a lug 35 that extends laterally `from the block 16 and is movable within a recess 36 in the eX- tension. v

j These two levers are so arranged that pressure on the thumb piece 28 will move the point of the hook 29 downwardly to engage theY headV 32 to rotate the lever 30 on its mounting, and the rounded surface of the extension will engage the lug 35 to move the block 16 outwardly against pressure Voi' theY spring 23 to disengage the block from the shank to permit the jaw vto be adjusted to a desired position. lVhen -the thumb piece is released, the spring l2 moves the jaw to locking position against the object to be acted upon.

In order that the wrench may be adapted as a pipe wrench, or for lturning objects with round or smooth surfaces, I have provided the `two jaws with supplemental jaw plates 37 and 38 which are removable therefrom. These plates are serrately toothed and are each provided at its .inner end with side eX- tensions 39 which slidably engage opposite faces of the shank 1 and at their outer ends have abutments 40 which engage the ends of the jaws. Posts 41 are mounted upon the outer face of each plate, which are projectlable within holes 42 in the jaws to hold the Vplates .in position. Additional means ior holding the plates consists of springs 45 which are fixed to the jaws and are adapted toseat at their yieldable ends within recesses 46 in the outer ends of the posts, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 6.

Assuming that the wrench is so constructed, in using the same to operate upon a nut as shown in Fig. 1, a person grips the handle 5 with the thumb on the thumb portion 28 of the lever 26, so that the leveris moved to release the block 16 from the shank 1 as was previously described. then moved outwardly suiliciently to receive the nut and is then permitted to move under pressure of the spring 12 against the nut.

llien the thumb lever is released, the

, block 16 seats inrmesh with'the shank teeth,

and thereby locks the jaw against any longitudinal movement andthe wrench is ready for action.

' lf a pipe or otherround object is to be acted upon, the supplementalv gripping jaws 37 and 38 are placed in position, as is illustrated in Fig. 2, and the wrench applied to the object in the same manner as has been previously described. with reference to the nut. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to protect byLetters Patent, is-

A wrench of the character described comprising, a shank bar having teeth along one edge thereof, a jaw Xed at the end of said shank, a jaw slidable along said shank having a recess therein provided with a lateral opening, a locking block slidable within said recess toward and from the shank and having teeth thereon adapted to interlock with the shank teeth, a cover for said recess, a spring located within said cover bearing against said'block to urge the latter inwardly, a lug on the block extending through said lateral opening, a lever pivotally mounted on the slidable jaw having a rounded end engageable with said lug and having a head at its opposite end,a second lever pivotally mounted on the slidable j aw having an end engageable with said head and having a thumb shank at its opposite end whereby said levers may be actuated to move said block to release the movable jaw from the shank.

Signed atvSea-ttle, Vashington, this 1st day of December, 1919.

FRANK E. SAYRES.

The is 

